2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Reviewers are quick to note the Elantra Touring’s lacking power, but most agree it’s well-tuned chassis makes it a relatively entertaining vehicle to drive.

• "It's not very powerful, but is loads of fun to fling." -- USA Today
• "Around town, the Elantra Touring gets the job done thanks to its quiet cabin, compliant suspension and tight turning radius. On winding canyon roads, the steering is rather light, but otherwise the Touring is actually a pretty capable handler, which is no doubt a result of its European roots." -- Edmunds

Acceleration and Power

The one place the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring seems to stumble is its powerplant.  The Elantra Touring comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 138 horsepower. Reviewers say that's not enough power, particularly when the Elantra Touring is weighed down by people or cargo. A five-speed manual is standard and a four-speed automatic transmission is available..  Most reviewers recommend the manual, which they say helps drivers make the most of the Elantra Touring's power; they also note that it's a very easy manual to operate.

With the manual transmission, the Elantra Touring gets an EPA-estimated 23/31 mpg city/highway fuel economy. With the automatic, the Elantra Touring gets 23/30 mpg city/highway.

• "Loaded with nearly 400 pounds of cargo, it became a right-lane queen on the highway. To say the very least, acceleration was wanting. And that was on straight, flat highways." -- The Washington Post
• "A manual transmission is almost no one's first choice for stop-and-go traffic, but you could do far worse than the Elantra Touring. If you insist, Hyundai provides an optional four-speed automatic, but for a five-speed stick my test car was uncannily easy to drive -- even in the late-winter gridlock that comes with ill-timed pothole repairs and lane closures." -- Cars.com
• "Acceleration isn't great, but the Elantra never really feels out of breath during passing maneuvers or while merging." -- CNET
• "Its barely enough to get around when the Elantra is loaded with passengers and cargo. Couple that with our tester's four-speed automatic and you'll need a set of spurs and a good whip to get the Elantra Touring going. Hyundai also can't claim exceptional gas mileage in the absence of stirring performance, as the EPA rates this hatchback at 23 mpg city/30 mpg highway." -- Autoblog

Handling and Braking

The Elantra Touring gets mixed reviews for its handling and braking.  While some say it's as fun to drive as a Mazda 3, others say its ride is rather ho-hum. The majority, however, seem to think that the Elantra Touring is a competent around-town cruiser, although not a sports car. If you want to be assured of sporty performance from your wagon, be sure to check out the Mazda 3 hatchback.

• "Overall, this would be a fine vacation hauler for a young family. Taken as a whole, the Touring's dynamic qualities are reminiscent of a Volkswagen Jetta or Mazda 3, and it's light-years better than its dull-as-dishwater sedan cousin." -- The Truth About Cars
• "The independently sprung MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear felt soft. The ride was floaty and susceptible to cross winds, while the handling feels tippy, with noticeable body roll despite the presence of stabilizer bars front and rear." -- Autoblog
• "The Elantra Touring makes no pretenses at being particularly sporty, but it does feel stable and predictable around a bend." -- CNET
• "Just so I don't scare anyone off, I'll emphasize that the Elantra Touring's roadholding is quite good, and it has the expected degree of understeer and no more. It feels safe and controllable, though body roll is more than I'd expect with the car's ride quality. It's not too firm for daily use, but it's not so mushy as to disconnect you from the road." -- Cars.com